Dublin are through to the last eight of the All-Ireland senior football championship after earning a 2-26 to 2-22 victory over Donegal at Croke Park this afternoon.

Ger Brennan’s side overcame the concession of two first-half goals to lead by three late on only for their Ulster counterparts to force extra time at headquarters thanks to Michael Murphy’s free at the death.

The added periods would see the Dubs outscoring the Division 1 champions by 0-8 to 0-4, with Colm Basquel and Sean Guiden to the fore for them as they took their place in the quarter-finals and ended the Tir Chonaill men’s Sam Maguire Cup ambitions for another year.

Jim McGuinness’s charges had been 0-5 to 0-4 in front when Shea Malone hammered in their first goal to the roof of Evan Comeford’s net in the 20th minute.

Murphy, making his 200th appearance for Donegal, put five between the sides a minute later, but the capital men would send over four of the next five points - two of them from skipper Con O’Callaghan – to trim their deficit to two.

O’Callaghan then pounced on a mistake from Gavin Mulreany to roll the ball into Donegal’s net in the run up to half-time.

However, the Ulster side would craft one last chance before the break that saw Murphy flicking possession forward and Peadar Mogan finishing to the net, sending Donegal in with a 2-7 to 1-8 advantage at the interval.

A brace of Paddy Small points and the scores of Ciaran Kilkenny, Cormac Costello (free) and O’Callaghan (‘45’) saw Brennan’s men pull level again by the 55th minute ahead of two-pointers from Shane O’Donnell and Jason McGee putting Donegal back in the ascendancy.

Basquel (0-7) came up with a crucial two-pointer in response and, after McGee sailed over a point at the other end, the Dubs would find Small inside and the Ballymun Kickhams man buried low to the net while picking up an injury which would see him having to be withdrawn straight after.

Lee Gannon’s point made it 2-18 to 2-15 with the clock running down, but Donegal were able to force extra time once Michael Lanagan’s point was backed up by a pressure free from outside the arc by Murphy after the hooter sounded.

The Glenswilly man would tangle with fellow veteran Kilkenny after sending over the scores and unsavoury scenes broke out afterwards which resulted in two from each side – Donegal’s Murphy and McGee and Niall Scully and Theo Clancy of Dublin – being black carded by referee Martin McNally before the start of the extra time.

Now a 13-a-side game until the start of the second period of extra time, the Dubs enjoyed a dream first period that saw them sending over the first five points unanswered via Ross McGarry and Guiden, who hit 0-4, including a sweet two-pointer.

A Mulreany two-point free right before the interval kept Donegal within touching distance and they’d see a brace of Ryan McHugh scores bring it back to a one-point game by the 82nd minute.

McGuinness’s men wouldn’t score again though, as two more Basquel efforts (one free) and Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne's first championship point put a seal on Dublin’s place in tomorrow morning’s quarter-final draw.

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